Should we save our libraries ?

[diddly-dee]

Hell yes we should

Where abouts are you? Im in Preston and love the Harris, though Id like the university library to be more accessible - a local library for local people as well as students. My local library (Clayton Green) is regularly busy and runs a variety of groups.

Libraries do need to evolve but, for now, we should definitely fight to keep them open

[grumpyhack]

Yes, and I recognise that pointing them in the direction of the giant archy thing that normal people call a 'bridge' is a noble endeavour.

[feral chile]

Yes, and I recognise that pointing them in the direction of the giant archy thing that normal people call a 'bridge' is a noble endeavour.

[feral chile]

Well I get paid to try to help people get out of poverty in the Valleys,

Edited January 19, 2011 by feral chile

[grumpyhack]

One thing that really used to get to me is the difference in attitude between the poorer Valleys areas and the inner city areas of cardiff. I grew up in the Valleys, from mining stock, and there was real encouragement to get an education so you could get out of the pits, and educated people were respected, education was valued.

[Milbert]

I'm a big fan of libraries. Nearly all my day to day reading material comes from them, as I don't really like buying novels. I mostly read trashy thrillers to pass my commuting time, and I'm never going to read them again, and don't really need them cluttering up the house.

The best thing about libraries for me is the no risk approach to book choice - if it's shit, I don't care, just take it back and get another one.

My little girl enjoys the kids section of our local library, too. She gets a real kick out of being able to browse shelves and choose a book. She doesn't quite understand that they have to go back, and can get a bit confused when a new favourite is no longer at home, but we tend to buy her a copy of things she really likes.

[sifi]

Im in Preston and love the Harris

[llcoolphil]

The singles thread is thataway.

[pink_triangle]

In my opinion rather than slashing hours fo libraries the government should spend money promoting them to get rid of people preconceptions about what a library was. I assumed libraries were just full of old book and the odd duran duran cd. I was amazed when I recently moved house and popped in to find the place full of new releaes books and dvds. If they havent got what I want, its generally waiting for me within 2 weeks. I think if people realised what the library offers then they would be far better used, the hard thing is getting people through the door.

[lifelessfool]

I don't really use my local library that much being a student,but when I was much much younger I loved trips to the library and I think my parents were thankful to save pennies as I was quite the book worm when I was younger. But I definitely think libraries should be saved as many have pointed out its a really cheap way to listen to CDs and rent DVDs etc, I can't really comment on the range of books my local library stocks as I dont have the time to read non academic texts any more, also I have always just ordered books on amazon in my older age. But any closure of a library would be a sad day, my local one never seems very busy I think most people have forgotten they exist which is a shame.

[LusciousLucy]

As the woman interviewed in BBC Breakfast on Wednesday so rightly said, not every single person in this country has access to a computer and libraries are places where children and adults can interface with such machinery without having to find the money to buy one themselves. 'Not everybody lives in Latte Land' was her final comment. Good on her!

Libraries don't just offer a book service, they are a refuge and place of safety and quiet. An education centre, a community centre, meeting place and...often in the larger city libraries, you will notice on occasion, people having a snooze or a read keeping warm before being heading back out to sleep on the streets again.

I just love seeing the massive range of people that use libraries. Its a public service for everybody in society and personally, always one of the first places I visit whenever I move to a new town or city. If I have time to kill before catching buses home, the library is where I head to.

A big library will have up to date magazines which at £4 each average cost, there is no way you would go out and buy them all at the newsagent. What parent can buy every single children's book available in a bookshop?

If your library does not have the book you want on the day, you go on the catalogue and get it ordered in from another library within the council region.

The list is just endless as to why this country needs its libraries. Open up the university libraries too if these closures do take place.

It seriously pisses me off when the media does not help things by only seeming to focus on things like Kindles, Ipads and the future without books. It's fecking ridiculous. The future is NOT going to be all microchips under the skin FFS.

[LusciousLucy]

And in reply to the OP's opening question 'SHOULD we save our libraries?'

OF COURSE WE f**kING SHOULD!!!

:angry:

[FunkyDenz]

And in reply to the OP's opening question 'SHOULD we save our libraries?'

OF COURSE WE f**kING SHOULD!!!

:angry:

[grumpyhack]

A judge in Barcelona has just ruleed that Ryanair are acting illegally by charging people £40 who don't turn up with a pre-printed boarding card. To get one you have to have a computer, a printer and internet access. For some people the only place they'll get that is in a library. Not that libraries should exist to help people get cheap flights but it's another example of how they can provide a facility for a lot of people.

[feral chile]

A judge in Barcelona has just ruleed that Ryanair are acting illegally by charging people £40 who don't turn up with a pre-printed boarding card. To get one you have to have a computer, a printer and internet access. For some people the only place they'll get that is in a library. Not that libraries should exist to help people get cheap flights but it's another example of how they can provide a facility for a lot of people.

Edited January 21, 2011 by feral chile

[worm]

And they provide a service for people who are in the most need.

[llcoolphil]

I submitted an application to be part of this

http://www.worldbooknight.org/

and was delighted to find out my submission was accepted and I shall have 48 copies of Life of Pi to distribute to people in my local community. I have a meeting with the librarian at my local library to work out a way I can dish the books out and promote the library at the same time.

Absolutely made up I am. This is my kind of Big Society - corporates give me free stuff to give away to people. I dont mind stepping up to the plate and helping redistribte those resources

Edited February 2, 2011 by llcoolphil

[Kizzie]

I submitted an application to be part of this

http://www.worldbooknight.org/

and was delighted to find out my submission was accepted and I shall have 48 copies of Life of Pi to distribute to people in my local community. I have a meeting with the librarian at my local library to work out a way I can dish the books out and promote the library at the same time.

Absolutely made up I am. This is my kind of Big Society - corporates give me free stuff to give away to people. I dont mind stepping up to the plate and helping redistribte those resources

Edited February 2, 2011 by Kizzie

[llcoolphil]

Hey…good for you Phil

I've got staff going out to the train station, a couple of night shelters, the High Street, several pubs and the cinema….we did a lot of bidding

You did well to get copies of the 'Life of Pi'....they've run out as it was so popular a choice.

[5co77ie]

[Kizzie]

A fellow librarian who I used to work with is in that film....she doesn't live or work in Somerset, wonder how she got on there ?

[LondonTom]

Yes!Infact we should be investing in them more! As everyone has already said they are great resource for people, however many lack the resources people need in this day and age. I am not saying getting rid of books but by having having computers, workshops around that then it gets people interested in looking at the books as they pass.

I'd like to see more random computing placings around shelves of books like in my uni library. (This is for ease of access when doing work obviously, but I think its a good principal.). Other improvements would be individual study rooms, to encourage kids to get together and do home together outside of school much like people do at uni. A fountain of knowledge and interaction of that knowledge between peoples.

Overall they need more investment not to be closed down and wasting a decent community resource.